Re: Latest on Doreen

**<t*@earthlink.net>**

Thanks for sharing that, Helen.....really sad. Doreen is a perfectly wonderful person and so many of us will long miss her. I'm not at all surprised she is dealing with this in such a smart and dignified way...of course she would.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Helen Yoest <helen@gardeningwithconfidence.com>
>Sent: Mar 11, 2015 10:29 AM
>To: GWL Writers Forum <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
>Subject: [GWL] Latest on Doreen
>
>This was posted on Doreen Howard's fb page...thought you would want to know. My heart is so very sad....
>
>It is with a sad and heavy heart I must report the following;
>As I have told you, she has an infection in the knee that cannot be cured. Her liver has been failing for years. Her autoimmune system has ravaged her body. She is incontinent, and has tubes in all parts of her body. And now, her kidneys have shut down. The doctors asked if she wanted to go on dialysis, and she emphatically said âNO!â The doctors asked if she knew that would kill her, and she said âyesâ. When they asked what she wanted, she said âto die quietly and with some dignityâ.
>It is 5:00 am here. I canât sleep. Our son David is on a plane as I write. His plane lands in Milwaukee at 8:30. He will drive to Madison. He is coming to say his goodbyes. The doctors say that she has days, perhaps a week or so to live.
>I have watched her bravely battle this illness for years. She has already beaten the odds with portal hypertension, and keeping her liver going. She has fought a long and brave fight. And now, she is exhausted. She has earned the right to die with dignity. I intend to honor her request. She has made me promise that there will be no fuss or funeral. When she dies, her remains are to be cremated. I asked her what to do with her ashes. She wanted to have them scattered in the garden, so I asked for one last request. I told her I wanted to plant a new garden, scatter the ashes, and put a plaque saying âDoreenâs Gardenâ. She smiled, and said âThank You. I would like that very muchâ.
>I intend to keep this Facebook page open for a while after she leaves us so that people can express their sorrows and accolades. She has been the most marvelous person I have ever met in my entire life.
>Thank you for all your love and support. I go see her every day, and tell her about the Facebook entries. It seems to give her some comfort. In a few days, she will no longer be able to understand. She will slowly slip into a coma, and die quietly, as she has requested.
>I will miss her terribly.
>Pete
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